Updated 11:48 pm, Saturday, July 12, 2014

La Albiceleste, Argentina: It sounds almost heavenly, perhaps an aesthetic cross between Messi and Maradona.

Die Mannschaft, Germany: Good grief, losing to these guys could be the least of your worries.

And speaking of extremes, take the coaches in Sunday's final. Alejandro Sabella was a formidable attacking midfielder in his day, but his mind seems geared to retreat. Defensive strategy is his forte and he wears a look of perpetual torment, as if absolutely certain something dreadful is about to happen. Is he all about the slow pace? The Argentine media calls him pachorra (the sloth).

Then there's Germany's Joachim Loew, believed to have been a '70s catalog fashion model in another life. His every movement seems choreographed in the direction of cool, not always hitting the target, and you get the feeling his jet-black hair is permanent. Meanwhile, as the jokes abound, he's in charge of the ruthlessly efficient machine that humiliated Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals.

There's so much potential in this matchup, so much hope for a classic. Not much is riding on it, outside of world supremacy and the tournament's legacy.

Through the Round of 16, it ranked with the best-ever World Cups for sheer entertainment, many observers placing it right at the top. Legends demonstrated their brilliance and many stars were born: Colombia's James Rodriguez, Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa and Costa Rica's Bryan Ruiz, to name a few.

Then fear arrived. It always does when the stakes ascend. It certainly would be nice to win, but losing, and facing a disgruntled public back home, can't happen. Thus unfolds a maddening aversion to risk; even the most imaginative teams abandon their flights of fancy. The four quarterfinals produced exactly five goals, and after that wildly aberrational Germany-Brazil semifinal, Argentina and the Netherlands played to a scoreless draw (moving to penalty kicks) in which the heralded Dutch managed just one shot on target.

To be sure, Sunday's final could change all that. Taking a closer look:

Lionel Messi: In a telling scene after Argentina's 1-o win over Belgium, Messi joined his teammates arm-in-arm as they waved in delight to a singing, chanting crowd. It wasn't always this way. Messi was the man who abandoned his homeland for Spain and kept his distance, never resembling the world's most gifted performer in an Argentina jersey. Until now. He has been passionately vocal in team huddles and a vibrant presence on the field (four goals), Sabella calling him "our water in the desert." With a moment or two of pure magic - and wouldn't we prefer five or six? - he can lift this final to the heights.

Thomas Mueller: Though everyone follows Messi, wearing the cherished No. 10, Mueller is Germany's No. 13, carrying on the great tradition of Michael Ballack and Gerd Mueller (no relation). He's only the second player to score five goals in back-to-back World Cups, joining teammate Miroslav Klose, and he relishes every chance to face Argentina. During a news conference at the 2010 tournament, the haughty Diego Maradona refused to share a podium with the 20-year-old Mueller, believing he was a ball-boy or some such thing. Mueller got his payback on the field and has plans for an encore.

Javier Mascherano: If he'd been playing an NFL game, Argentina's Mascherano wouldn't have returned from the severe blow to the head he absorbed in the first half of the semifinals (concussion protocol, or lack of it, has been a lively World Cup issue behind the scenes). After treatment, he kept playing, dramatically sliding to block what would have been a game-winning shot by Arjen Robben in the penalty area. As the Barcelona midfielder told reporters the next day, it came at a rather grim cost: "I don't want to be rude, but I tore my anus on that move. I'll be OK. It wasn't a goal. That's all that matters."

The goalkeepers: Downright ordinary in goal last season for Monaco (France), Sergio Romero was the star of Argentina's semifinal shootout with two saves, including a sensational, guess-to-his-right block on Wesley Sneijder. On the German side, Manuel Neuer is widely considered the best in the world, and definitely the most adventurous. Amazingly, he made 21 clearances outside the box in the Algeria game.

Beyond Messi: Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero, arguably the Premier League's best player over the first half of the 2013-14 season, has been dealing with injuries that limited him to minimal contributions against the Netherlands. Angel Di Maria, an essential component to Real Madrid's Champions League title, is dealing with a thigh injury but might be available off the bench Sunday. Align these two with Messi, if only for a spell, and fans might witness the true power of Argentina.

The outsider: In a ramshackle slum outside Buenos Aires, Carlos Tevez and his friends will watch with great interest. Tevez is one of Argentina's greatest goal scorers, for years a heroic figure in Europe, but he was left off this year's national team. Some thought Messi wanted it that way. Others theorized that the team's wealthy higher-ups didn't want anyone from the wrong side of town. If Argentina goes down meekly, his name surely will surface.

Philipp Lahm: Loew faced a potential torrent of second-guessing when he switched his alignment in mid-tournament, moving Lahm to right back after Sami Khedira earned his way into a midfield assignment. Khedira and Tony Kroos have proved to be a splendid combination, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, now playing a deep-lying midfield role, will be the man most responsible for shadowing Messi. He'll have plenty of help.

Penalty-kick shootouts: I'm not among those vehemently opposed to this manner of settling a game, but I always loved this description by Ian Thomsen, then with the International Herald Tribune: "The equivalent of taking Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson off the Augusta National after 72 even holes and ordering them to settle the Masters at the Putt-Putt miniature golf course on Route 17 somewhere outside the city."

And in closing: "Being in this final is something you cannot describe," Mascherano said. "It's a delight - a delight that lifts your soul." We should all hope he's a prophet.

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